Coupling and uncoupling device

ABSTRACT

This disclosure relates to a device for coupling or uncoupling pipes, collars, casing and the like, including a gripping head mounted on a threaded shaft and a telescopic casing engaging the shaft, said casing normally intended to receive the shaft. As the casing telescopes an internal follower engages the shaft causing the shaft and head to rotate. A spring is also provided to return the casing to its normal extended position. During extension an internal clutch disengages the casing and shaft allowing extension of the casing without rotation of the head.

O United States. Patent l 13,6u2,u72

[72] Inventor DuffySensat 2,947,334 8/1960 Issartel .1 145/54 Rte 1, Box338, Welsh, La. 70591 1,445,133 2/1923 Drake 145/530 X [21] Appl.N0.863,575 1,415,251 5/1922 McLean 145/53 [22] Filed [45] Patented Oct.3,1969 Aug. 31, 19711 [54] COUPLING AND UNCOUPLING DEVICE 1,951,584 3/1934Thompson Primary Examiner-James L. Jones, Jr. Attorney-LeBlanc & ShurABSTRACT: This disclosure relates to a device for coupling or uncouplingpipes, collars, casing and the like, including a gripping head mountedon a threaded shaft and a telescopic casing engaging the shaft, saidcasing normally intended to receive the shaft. As the casing telescopesan internal follower engages the shaft causing the shaft and head torotate. A spring is also provided to return the casing to its normalextended position. During extension an internal clutch disengages thecasing and shaft allowing extension of the casing without rotation ofthe head.

PATENTEU M831 Ian SHEET 1 OF 2 HGI INVENTOR DUFF Y SENSAT ATTORNEYSCOUPLING AND UNCOUPLING DEVICE In well drilling a variety of tools havebeen developed to extract threaded male fittings from threaded femalemembers. These devices generally engage the internal wall of the malemember and rotate it. However, the devices are not universally adaptableto fit members of different diameter, and

' usually require complicated mechanical linkages and bearings tofacilitate rotation when the member is a drill pipe with a well casing.

In the terminology employed to describe well-drilling equip ment, arathole is generally a pipe of various sizes which is suspended from aplatform on a drilling rig. The rathole is used to assemble anddisassemble pipe. A device has long been needed for use within therathole to uncouple a section of pipe or casing from another section orto remove a collar from a section or unscrew a fitting after the jointthereon has been loosened.

A universally adaptable device has alsobeen needed which is readilyconvertible to function either to couple or uncouple pipe sections,whichever function is desired.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a device forcoupling or uncoupling pipe or other items of circular cross sectionadaptable to function within a casing or within a rathole.

It is another object to provide a coupling or uncoupling deviceadaptable to engage a wide variety of pipe sections having differentdiameters.

It is a further object to provide a device for translating verti- 1 calinto rotational movement, whereby the downward force used to drive anuncoupling device into engagement with a pipe section is used to rotatethe section either to couple or uncouple it.

It is yet another object to provide a one-way coupling or uncouplingdevice for use within a rathole which will engage and rotate a pipesection responsive to downward force, but will not rotate the sectionwhen the action is reversedto withdraw the device.

It is still another object to provide a coupling or uncoupling devicefor use within a pipe casing to rotate an internally disposed hollow,cylindrical body, said device having a wedged shaped engaging headthreadedly received in a telescoping body so that as the body telescopesa thread follower therein drives the head in rotation and when the bodyextends, the threadedly received head is disengaged.

These and other objects will become readily apparent with reference tothe drawings and following discussion wherein:

FIG. 1 is an elevation in partial section of the device of thisinvention disposed within a casing and rotating a pipe section;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the device of this invention in anextended position;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the device of this inventionpartially telescoped;

FIG. 4 is a cross section view of the device of this invention fullytelescoped;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view along line 5-5 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is a cross section view along line 6-6 of FIG. 2', and

FIG. 7 is an end view of the device of this invention taken as indicatedbyline 7-7 of FIG. 2.

The following is a description of a preferred embodiment of the couplingand uncoupling device of this invention, which may be referred to as aspin-out tool, or a rathole spin-out tool when it is used to uncouplepipe, casing or collars in a rathole structure.

The device, as shown in FIGS. 1 through 4, broadly comprises three maingroups. They are a biased, telescoping casing 11, a spinning head 21,and one-way driving group 31, disposed internally to the casing 11 andconnecting the head 21 with said casing.

The head 21 comprises a horizontal base plate 23, an attachment neck 25disposed coaxially on the upper surface of the plate 23, and a pluralityof mutually spaced, tapered wedge members 27, depending from the plate23. Four wedge members are shown in FIGS. 1 through 43, but it will beun derstood that any number may be used. They, however, must becoaxially disposed along plate 23 as radial members spaced at equalintervals about the axis of said plate 23.

The head 21 is designed to grip the internal surface of the terminalportion of a hollow body of circular cross section as for example in thecase of the pipestem 29, shown in FIG. 1.

The casing group 11 includes a telescoping outer housing 13 and an innersupport housing 15. Support 15 carries friction plate 17 for attachmentto a vertical driver (not shown) to insure that the casing 11 does notrotate as it telescopes due to any torque which may -be transmittedthrough the casing by rotation of the spinning head 21.

Outer housing 13 and inner housing 15 are connected by compressionspring 19 which connects upper flange 13 on housing 15 and lower flange20 on housing 13. Spring 19 normally urges the casing 11 into theextended position shown in FIG. 2.

Lower housing 13 carries a thrust bearing 51 disposed externally toflange 20 to prevent rotation. of casing 13 as head 21 spins.

An O-ring seal 53 is provided in groove 55 of upper housing 15 tofacilitate the sliding action between the outer surface of section 15and inner surface of section 13.

a The driving group 31 includes a threaded shaft 33, coaxially mountinghead 21 at neck 25 through the use of locking screw 35, and key 37 andsetscrew 39. Key 37 is received in a keyway 38 and a shaft 33 and neck25, as shown in FIG. 2, and is held in place by setscrew 39. The lockingscrew 35 also connects neck 25 to shaft 33.

Upper casing 15 carrier an inwardly directed lip 41, lip 41 engages aone-way clutch 61. Clutch 61 also acts to transmit the vertical force ofthe driver (not shown) and the telescoping action of casing sections 13and 15 to the threaded shaft 33.

The lower portion 62 of clutch 61 carries screw guide pins 63, which aresecured thereto by set screws 65, as shown in FIG. 2. Guidepins 63 rideon screw thread 67 of shaft 33 rotating shaft 33 by a bearing forceimparted to threads 67 as casing group 11 telescopes.

The lower portion 62 of clutch 61 has a lip 71, shown in FIG. 6. The lipprovides for one-way rotation of the head 21 in that lip 71 fits innotch 73 of casing section 15, as the casing ll 1 telescopes. However,when the casing is extended from the position of FIG. 4 to that of FIG.2, as urged by spring 19, lip 71 rides out of notch 73, as shown in FIG.6 and clutch 61 then rotates with the extension of casing 11 while shaft33 remains stationary and guidepins 63 follow thread 67.

As the casing 11 telescopes, clutch 61 is locked'against rotation by theengaging action of lip 71 in notch 73 of upper casing section 15.Therefore, as pins 63 follow threads 67, the shafts 33 and head 21 arerotated.

Upon withdrawal of casing section 15 from casing section 13, lip 71rides out of notch 73; thus, permitting rotation of clutch 61 aboutshaft 33, as pins 63 follow threads 67. The one'way action of clutch 61thereby permits shaft 33 to remain stationary upon an extension of thecasing 11.

Extension is stopped when neck 25 of head 21 reaches thrust bearing 51of casing section 13 and stop collar 75 at the end of shaft 33 oppositethe head 21 reaches the upper portion 77 of clutch 61. The upper portion77 then engages the internal lip 41 of upper casing section 15.

As shown in FIG. 7, upper casing section 15 may carry, in addition tofriction plate 17, a threadedly received grease plug 78. Removal of plug78 provides access to the threaded shaft for disassembly.

The device of this invention is particularly suited for use in a ratholestructure to uncouple drill stempipe having a previ ously loosenedjoint, although it will function equally well to separate collars or awide variety of other hollow cylindrical bodies engaged in a threadedconnection.

When used in this manner, shaft 33 must have left-handed threads 67designed to rotate the head in a counterclockwise direction to unscrewthe connection. If it is desired to couple a section of pipe, forexample, to another section, it will be necessary to rotate the head inthe opposite direction and therefore another threaded shaft having thenecessary thread configuration will have to be substituted.

Disassembly is relatively simple. The head 21 is removed form shaft 33by withdrawing locking screw 35, set screw 39 and key 37. Grease plug 78is then removed and the shaft withdrawn through the end of the uppercasing 15, which formally received the grease plug. Casing sections 13and 15 may then be separated.

It will be obvious that various design modifications may be implementedwithout departing from the concept of this invention. The thread patternon shaft 33 and the shape of notch -73 on casing and lip 71 on clutchportions 62 will be a matter of choice depending on the direction ofhead rotation desired.

Likewise, a variety of well-known thrust bearings and grease seals areapplicable, and may be substituted for the O-ring and bearing shown inthis embodiment.

Furthermore, although the device shown is mechanical, well-knownhydraulic or pneumatic pistons may be used to impart the vertical forceused to rotate the spinning head.

The action of spring 19 to extend the casing sections after thetelescoping action used to drive the head may also be replaced bywell-known pneumatic or hydraulic devices.

The invention herein disclosed depends primarily on the use of athreaded shaft and a thread follower to translate a downwardly directedforce applied through the casing to the thread follower, which in turndrives the follower down the shaft, rotating the shaft, and spinning ahead engaging the end of the shaft. 'A casing herein describedtelescopes responsive to the downwardly directed force, against theaction of a compression spring. When the force is released, the energystored in the spring drives the casing section into an extendedposition, disengaging the follower form the casing and allowing itsreturn travel up the shaft to its normal position.

What is claimed and desired to be secured by United States LettersPatent is:

l. A device for imparting rotational motion to a hollow, cylindricalbody comprising:

means for engaging said body at an end thereof;

a threaded-shaft mounting said engaging means at an end thereof;

follower means surrounding said shaft and engaging the threads of saidshaft at an end opposite the end mounting said engaging means;

drive means connected to said thread follower means for urging saidfollower means along said shaft towards said engaging means and forengaging said follower against rotational movement so that as saidfollower moves along said shaft responsive to said drive means, saidshaft and said engaging means rotate;

return means connecting said follower and said drive means forselectively disengaging said follower and said drive means, and forsubsequently urging said follower along said shaft towards the end ofsaid shaft, opposite said engaging means;

said return means allowing rotation of said follower, relative to saidshaft.

2. The engaging means of claim 1, comprising a baseplate and a pluralityof tapered, wedge surfaces extending from a face of said plate andradially disposed about the normal central axis, said wedge surfacesdesigned to extend into the hollow cylindrical body engaging an innersurface thereof.

3. The return means of claim 1, comprising: bias means connecting saiddrive means and said follower means for normally urging said followeralong said shaft toward the end of said shaft opposite the engagingmeans; clutch means connecting said drive means and said follower forengaging said follower against rotation when follower is moving alongsaid shaft towards said engaging means, and for selectively disengagingsaid follower from said drive means to allow said follower to rotaterelative to said shaft when said follower is returning along said shaftin a direction away from said engaging means.

4. The device of claim 3 further comprising:

a hollow, telescoping casing having an upper section and a lowersection, said casing surrounding said threaded shaft, said lower sectionrotatably engaging said shaft at an end adjacent said engaging means andsaid upper section releasably engaging said .thread follower means andsaid clutch means;

means for telescoping said upper section into said lower section and formoving said follower means along said shaft so that as said shafttelescopes said shaft and said engaging means rotate.

5. A device for imparting rotational motion to a hollow cylindricalbody, comprising:

a threaded shaft; 7

an upper casing member surrounding an end of said shaft and slidableengaging said shaft;

a lower casing member surrounding said shaft and rotatably engaging saidshaft adjacent an end thereof opposite said upper casing said lowercasing disposed to slidably receive said upper casing;

means attached at an end of said threaded shaft adjacent said lowercasing for engaging said hollow cylindrical body;

a thread follower surrounding said shaft and disposed within said lowercasing adjacent said upper casing, said follower disposed to travelalong said shaft;

one-way clutch means releasable connecting said thread follower and saidupper casing for connecting said follower and said upper casing as saidupper casing slides along said shaft into said lower casing, and forreleasing said follower and said upper casing when said casing slidesalong said shaft away from said lower casing;

means fixedly attached to said upper casing for sliding said uppercasing into said lower casing and for preventing rotation of said uppercasing.

6. The device of claim 5 further comprising means connecting said .upperand lower casing for normally urging said upper casing towards an end ofsaid shaft opposite the end adjacent said lower casing.

7. The device of claim 6 wherein said means is a compressron spring.

8. The device of claim 5 wherein the means for engaging the hollowcylindrical body comprises a faceplate attached at an end of saidthreaded shaft adjacent said lower casing and normal to said shaft, anda plurality of tapered wedges extending from the face of said plate andradially disposed on said plate about the axis of said shaft, saidwedges disposed to engage a portion of the interior surface of saidhollow cylindrical body.

1. A device for imparting rotational motion to a hollow, cylindricalbody comprising: means for engaging said body at an end thereof; athreaded shaft mounting said engaging means at an end thereof; followermeans surrounding said shaft and engaging the threads of said shaft atan end opposite the end mounting said engaging means; drive meansconnected to said thread follower means for urging said follower meansalong said shaft towards said engaging means and for engaging saidfollower against rotational movement so that as said follower movesalong said shaft responsive to said drive means, said shaft and saidengaging means rotate; return means connecting said follower and saiddrive means for selectively disengaging said follower and said drivemeans, and for subsequently urging said followeR along said shafttowards the end of said shaft, opposite said engaging means; said returnmeans allowing rotation of said follower, relative to said shaft.
 2. Theengaging means of claim 1, comprising a baseplate and a plurality oftapered, wedge surfaces extending from a face of said plate and radiallydisposed about the normal central axis, said wedge surfaces designed toextend into the hollow cylindrical body engaging an inner surfacethereof.
 3. The return means of claim 1, comprising: bias meansconnecting said drive means and said follower means for normally urgingsaid follower along said shaft toward the end of said shaft opposite theengaging means; clutch means connecting said drive means and saidfollower for engaging said follower against rotation when said followeris moving along said shaft towards said engaging means, and forselectively disengaging said follower from said drive means to allowsaid follower to rotate relative to said shaft when said follower isreturning along said shaft in a direction away from said engaging means.4. The device of claim 3 further comprising: a hollow, telescopingcasing having an upper section and a lower section, said casingsurrounding said threaded shaft, said lower section rotatably engagingsaid shaft at an end adjacent said engaging means and said upper sectionreleasably engaging said thread follower means and said clutch means;means for telescoping said upper section into said lower section and formoving said follower means along said shaft so that as said shafttelescopes said shaft and said engaging means rotate.
 5. A device forimparting rotational motion to a hollow cylindrical body, comprising: athreaded shaft; an upper casing member surrounding an end of said shaftand slidable engaging said shaft; a lower casing member surrounding saidshaft and rotatably engaging said shaft adjacent an end thereof oppositesaid upper casing said lower casing disposed to slidably receive saidupper casing; means attached at an end of said threaded shaft adjacentsaid lower casing for engaging said hollow cylindrical body; a threadfollower surrounding said shaft and disposed within said lower casingadjacent said upper casing, said follower disposed to travel along saidshaft; one-way clutch means releasable connecting said thread followerand said upper casing for connecting said follower and said upper casingas said upper casing slides along said shaft into said lower casing, andfor releasing said follower and said upper casing when said casingslides along said shaft away from said lower casing; means fixedlyattached to said upper casing for sliding said upper casing into saidlower casing and for preventing rotation of said upper casing.
 6. Thedevice of claim 5 further comprising means connecting said upper andlower casing for normally urging said upper casing towards an end ofsaid shaft opposite the end adjacent said lower casing.
 7. The device ofclaim 6 wherein said means is a compression spring.
 8. The device ofclaim 5 wherein the means for engaging the hollow cylindrical bodycomprises a faceplate attached at an end of said threaded shaft adjacentsaid lower casing and normal to said shaft, and a plurality of taperedwedges extending from the face of said plate and radially disposed onsaid plate about the axis of said shaft, said wedges disposed to engagea portion of the interior surface of said hollow cylindrical body.